AGRICULTURE CONTRIBUTES 18.5% TO PAKISTAN’S GDP AND PROVIDES 38.5% EMPLOYMETNT TO NATIONAL LABOR FORCE BUT STILL IT REMAINS BACKWARD SECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY WHILE HIGH PERFORMING AGRICULTURE IS A KEY TO ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION
0ver the last decade, the performance of agriculture sector has fallen short of desirable level mainly because of stagnant productivity of all important crops. Cropped area of the five traditional crops has also largely remained unchanged. Climate change also poses a
serious challenge to Pakistan’s agriculture and threatens country’s water availability and food scarcity. The government is trying its best to help the farmers by providing agricultural inputs at affordable prices and ensuring better price of their produce. To guarantee food security, it is necessary to enhance domestic agricultural production through Increased productivity (increasing per acre yield). Although Pakistan has rich production potential in agriculture, livestock and fisheries, yet for sustainable economic growth and prosperity, the development of these sectors on long-term basis is of fundamental importance for country’s growth and prosperity. Quite obviously, this calls for efficient utilization of production resources by adopting modern technologies and establishment of realistic marketing system.
administration is working on various aspects for strengthening of field offices, international collaboration, new initiatives for further development. Its prime goal is protecting the farmers’ interest. Quality seed is a prerequisite to realizing the full benefit of good crop husbandry practices. Any weakness in terms of genetic purity or physical health may damage all Investments and efforts made during the course of crops.
Enactment of laws regarding seeds has been considered fundamental steps to resolve this major issue. Certified nurseries of planting material in production areas with mother plant banks are needed to meet the fruits orchards needs along with back up support.
High technology seeds such as Hybrid should be given high priority and must be developed Indigenously by technology acquisition, strengthen of the public sector research and development (R&D) and enhancing role
The seed sector is grossly under- developed due to extended delay
AREA, SEED REQUIREMENTS AND SEED AVAILABILITY | |||
SOWING AREA (000 HA) | TOTAL REQUIREMENTS (METRIC TONNES) | SEED AVAILABILITY (MT) TOTAL | |
8945 | 1073352 | 429341 | |
3200 | 63232 | 56980 | |
2805 | 41385 | 59669 | |
1170 | 28892 | 14235 | |
1185 | 42674 | 1401 | |
830 | 10790 | 72 | |
280 | 8400 | 2123 | |
2038 | 61140 | 11659 | |
166 | 415000 | 2397 | |
20619 | 1744865 | 577877 | |
Note: Seed Availability figures include Public, Private and Imported Seed |
of the private sector for seed development commercialization.
Seed is the basic input for agriculture sector and has an important role in enhancing agriculture productivity. Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department is an attached department of Ministry of National Food Security and Research which provides seed certification services as and when sought by public and private seed agencies.
in legislations though number of private domestic seed companies is around 700 which are already in all fields and horticultural crops. Several initiatives such as establishment of facilitation visits and testing laboratories were taken.
Along with inconsistent legislation issue, widespread spurious seed. non availability of certified seed and planting material, no system of seed commercialization in the National Agricultural Research System and lagging seed registration process have been identified as potential obstacles to the seed sector.
According to the information available for official quarters concerned, in order to ensure improved seed certification services, Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department A comprehensive but convenient registration for new entrants is also deemed necessary.
Hybrid seed, controlled hybrid, provide very uniform characteristics because they are produced by crossing two inbred strains, Elite inbred strains are used that express well-documented and consistent Phenotypes such as high crop yield that are relatively good for inbred plants. In Agriculture and Gardening, Hybrid Seed is produced by cross pollinated plants. Hybrid Seed production is predominated in modern agriculture and home gardening. It is one of the main contributions to the dramatic rise in agricultural output during last half of the 20th century. The alternations to hybridization are open pollination and colonel propagation.
All of the Hybrid Seed planted by the farmer will produce similar plants while the seeds of the next generation from these hybrids will not consistently have the desired characteristics. Controlled hybrids provide very uniform characteristics because they are produced by crossing two inbred strains. Elite inbred strains are used that exports well-documents. Phenotypes (such as high crop yields) that is relatively good for inbred plants
Hybrids are chosen to improve the characteristics of the resulting plants such as better yelled, greater uniformity, improved colors, disease resistance, An important tactor is the Heterosis or combining ability of the parents plants Crossing and particular pair of inbred strains may or may not result in superior off spring.
The US experimental agriculture stations in the 1920s investigated the hybrid crops and by the 1930s farmers had widely adopted the first hybrid maize Hybrid seed technology is also being adopted by the farming community in Pakistan though the pace for adaptation to modern technologies seems to be pretty slow for varying reasons mainly being illiterate farmers.
Hybrid technology has augmented maize production by more than 3 times in Pakistan since its launch for lanes.
the crop sowing way back in 1990s. The mairo crop in Pakistan points out a phenomenal success story spanning over the past 20 years. The introduction of high yield malze hybrid by international companies laid the foundation for the growth. In Punjab alone, averago matze yield has tripled going up from 14 maunds per acre to 60 maunds per acre whereas ares under cultivation has also almost been doubled. Growth in crop production during last two decades was as high as 320 per cent. Downstream impact like on the poultry industry was also quite notable.
The federal and provincial governments seemingly determined and committed to ensure welfare and well-being of the farming community as well as boosting agricultural production to minimize reliance on imports at the earliest should maximize their efforts to introduce modern technologies like hybrid seed technology to the farmers rather speedily to ensure good results in shortest possible time, please.